South Korea's arms procurement agency announced Tuesday that it has launched the development of the L-SAM-II, an enhanced long-range surface-to-air missile designed to improve range and altitude capabilities.
The L-SAM-II is designed to intercept the enemy's nuclear and missile threats at higher altitudes than the existing L-SAM system. Its increased altitude capability is expected to expand defense coverage to three to four times the current model.
The advanced interceptor is expected to enable a two-stage interception process, targeting missiles at higher altitudes first and providing secondary interception opportunities at lower altitudes based on combat environment assessments.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration held a project kickoff meeting on Tuesday, with attendees including officials from the military, the Agency for Defense Development -- a state-run military think tank -- and a prototype manufacturer. According to DAPA, the military think tank will lead the project.
Approximately 567.7 billion won ($387.5 million) will be invested in the project, which involves collaboration with 19 domestic companies, with the goal of completing the system's development by 2028.
Currently, South Korea's military independently operates a comprehensive multilayered defense system comprised of various interception missiles, including the L-SAM, the Patriot missile system and the Cheongung-II, which is an advanced type of medium-range surface-to-air missile, also known as the M-SAM-II.
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